Tips on Toy Safety

July 25, 2008

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Tips on Toy Safety

by Lynn Cates, M.D., F.A.A.P.
reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.

Whether you are looking for a toy for your own child or shopping for your favorite niece or nephew, it's a good idea to refresh your memory about general toy-safety principles. Here are some important ones to keep in mind:

Choose age-appropriate toys. Labels will help you find toys that have been designed to best fit your child's age, abilities, and interests. They take into account the manual and thinking skills required for a child to handle and enjoy the toy, and provide an important guide as to whether or not a toy is safe for his particular age. It is always important to take into account a child's unique nature when choosing a toy, but no matter how precocious your child is, you should be aware that toy labels generally provide fairly reliable guides.

Getting started. When your child first gets a new toy, there are some things you should keep in mind:

Read the instructions. As boring or hard to decipher as they may be, following the instructions that come with the toy can be very important to your child's safety. They can tell you how to put the toy together correctly so that it is less likely to malfunction or break and lead to injury. If your child is old enough, be sure that he reads the instructions, too.

Discard or safely store all packing materials. Toys should be removed from all packaging before they are given to young children. Hazards posed by packaging include suffocation from plastic bags or wrappings, choking on small pieces of cardboard or plastic, strangulation from ribbons, injury from sharp edges, or lead poisoning from chewing on wrapping paper made with lead-based paints.

Check for sturdiness. One of the most important safety features of a toy is its ability to withstand normal--as well as abusive--treatment by the children in the age range for which it was designed. Make sure that the toy is made of durable materials that won't break or tear, and that all its pieces are securely anchored. Many parents find that it is actually less expensive, as well as safer, to buy one toy that is well built instead of several cheaper, poorly made toys. Be sure that small parts such as button eyes and noses are tightly secured or, safer yet, painted or embroidered on. Also, don't forget to check used toys carefully for damage before giving them to your child.

Watch for choking risks. No small objects should ever be left within a baby's or young child's (three years and under) reach, and older children (up to at least age six) should be supervised when playing with small objects. Objects less than 1.75 inches (44 mm) in diameter, as well as any other object that is small enough to fit into the child's mouth, should be avoided; an easy way to tell if an object is too small is to see if it will fall through the center roll of toilet paper. Remember that older children can choke on small objects as well.

Those common party decorations, latex balloons, cause 7 to 10 deaths in children each year in the U.S. Uninflated or pieces of balloons cause the most serious problems because, when a child breathes in, the balloon can stretch to completely cover the airway. If you want your child to have balloons, consider those made of Mylar since this material is less likely than latex to cause suffocation.

Prevent strangulation risks. Avoid toys with strings or cords that are long enough (more than 14 inches) to strangle a child. In particular, avoid putting anything around a child's neck on a string (e.g., a pacifier), necklaces, and toy instruments like guitars with shoulder straps.

Avoid points and sharp corners. Children under eight years should not be given toys with sharp corners, rough edges, or sharp points, or that are made from fragile materials such as thin plastic that can break leaving sharp edges. These can lead to cuts, scrapes, and potentially severe puncture wounds, including eye injuries.

Keep older children's toys out of reach. This can prove to be a challenge even in the most careful of families, but is well worth the effort because toys that are designed for older children may pose serious health risks to younger ones.

Fix or discard broken toys. Examine toys regularly to be sure that they have not become hazardous, and fix them or throw them away if they are broken.

Store toys safely. Storing toys out of reach of young children is important, especially for toys that require adult supervision, or older children's toys in households with younger siblings. Toys left on the floor or stairs also can cause tripping hazards.

If you use a toy chest with a heavy lid, be sure that the lid has a safety latch that will keep it open in any position so it does not fall unexpectedly. Also, if it is large enough for your child to fall into, be sure that there are generous air holes so he won't suffocate if he becomes trapped inside.

Provide protective gear. Be sure that you invest in appropriate safety gear (e.g., helmets, wrist guards, knee pads) to go with new toys like bicycles, inline skates, or scooters.

Supervise play. Be available to supervise your child's play to help him learn how to enjoy his toys safely. Also, check to see that anyone else who cares for your child (e.g., babysitters, daycare providers) is familiar with basic safety rules.

Check for recalls. Because so many toys are recalled each year, it is possible that you may find recalled toys on store shelves or, more likely, at garage sales. You can check to see if a given toy has been recalled at the Consumer Product Safety Commission's website at www.cpsc.gov or call their toll-free number at 1-800-638-2772. If you have purchased the toy recently, the manufacturer may offer a refund.


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Created November 28, 2001
Reviewed September 18, 2004

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